baker



No. 621,737. Patentgd Mar. 2|, |899.

F. BAKER.

SSSS E.

- l gwgy* .WENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BAKER, OF AULFIELD, VICTORIA.

SPIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,737, dated March 21, 1899.

. Application filed December 13, 1898; Serial No. 699,147. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom it myconcern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK BAKER, builder, a subject of the Queen ot Great Britain, residing at -Maylauds, Kambrook road, Caulfield, near Melbourne, in the British Colony of Victoria, have invented an Improved Spike for Securing Rails, Decking-Platforms, and the Like, (for which I applied for a patent in Victoria, application filed August 1li, 1898, zo and numbered 15, 451; in New SouthWales, application filed August 19, 1898, and numbered 8,590; in South Australia, application filed August 18, 1898, and numbered 5,534; in Queensland, application filed August20, 1898, i5 and numbered.4,528 in Tasmania, application filed August 2 2, 1898, and numbered 2,246; in New Zealand,V application tiled August 29,

1898, and numbered 10,919; in WVesternl Australia, application tiled August 23, 1898, and

2o numbered 2,183, and thatin addition an appli cat-ion for Letters Patent in Great Britain was sent from Melbourne aforesaid on the 16th of August, 1898, but that I do not know the actual date-of tiling of such application nor its num'ber,) of which the following is aspecii.-

cation.

This invention relates mainly to the spikes used on railways for securing the flanges of the rails to the sleepers, but it is also applica- 3o ble for numerous other purposes where spikes or studs are employedas, for instance, in securing decking and. platforms to `ioists.

The main object of the invention is to provide a spike or stud which will securely hold rails, plankin'g, and the like without working loose, but -Which can be removed and replaced at will. l

In order that my invention may be easily understood, I will describe it by reference to 4o the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spike such as would be used on railways for securing the rails to the sleepers, showin g same constructed inaccordance with this invention. Fig. 2 -is a plan of said spike; and Figs..3 and 4 are transverse sections on lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 1'. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a spike or stud adapted to be fitted into a countersunk hole for securing plank'- ing or the like vto joists, for instance. Fig. 6

is a sectional elevation illustrating the application of my invention to a hcok-and-eye gate-hinge. Fig. is a similar view to Fig. 3, illustrating a slight modification which can be made in the construction of the spike, as hereinafter described. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation illustratinga further modication which might be made inv my improved spike to adapt it more particularly to railway-work;

The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts inall the figures.

According tov this invention the spike lor stud isy made in two parts A'and B, the latter of which is formed with from one to three projecting' teeth C, as shown,- while-the formeris wedge-shaped-.for a portion of its length andv is adapted to be driven intl-o the hole be. hind the part B, so as to driver-the teethiC.

forward into the body of the sleeper, joist, or the like. It' intended for securing rails'to sleepers, the part B of the spike may have alprojecting head. D to engage the flange of the sleeper, and at its lowest end it has a projection E, preferably slightly inclined on its upper edge and adapted to be forced into engagement with the under side of the sleeper. The lower end of the part B of the spike 'is preferably grooved out for a short distance, as indicated at F, by which means the spike is made lighter and a certain saving of metal is effected.

The part A of the spike is formed with a slightly-projecting head -G to facilitate its withdrawal, and it can be made square for a certain portion of its length-say down to vabout the part marked II-the remainder of its length being curved or rounded, as .in Fig. 4. The face bearing against the part B of the spike may be curvedv slightly to corre? spond to a similar curve which maybe made on said part B, as illustrated at I in Fig. 3.

' The shank of the spike may be square instead of oval or round; but by preference it is constructed of the section shown in Figs, 3 and 4.

The corners K of the part B are rounded od, as shown, to enable said part B to be moved ba'ck into the hole when the part A has been removed. The corners L of said part A are made so as to project slightly, so

that by being embedded in the timber they will assist in preventing the spike turning around, and thus becoming disengaged from the flange of the rail.

AThe spike or stud illustrated in Fig.` 5 is substantially the same as shown in lfig. l, cxcept that the head is shaped to fit into a countersunk hole, so as to be fiush with the surface of decking, planking, or other timbers, this construct-ion being useful for securing the planking or decking of platforms and the like, and owing to the hold the three teeth C would have in the joists it cannot be drawn ont by the warping of the decking, and, moreover, can be fixed in much less time than screws. 4

The application of the invention for other purposes-as, for instance, for securing hookand-eyehinges to gates and gate-posts--will be readily understood from Fig. (i, the part B, carrying the hook, being held in a hole in the gate-post by the three teeth C, with which it is provided, being driven into the post on the insertion of the part The other part. of the gate-hinge could be secured to the gate in the ordinary manner; but instead of using screws small spikes of the kind illustrated in Fig. 5 could be employed.

ln order to compensate'for shrinkage in the sleepers, my improved spike might be constructed, as illustrated in Fig. 8, with a slot through its upper end, through which a tapering or inclined key M might be passed, the rear end of said key being formed with teeth N to engage with the surface of the sleeper and so prevent the key working loose. By driving this key in farther it will tighten its hold on the rail and draw the projection E on the lower end of the spike against the under side of the sleeper, thus compensating for any shrinkage of this latter.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same isto be performed, I declare that what I claim isi l. A spike for securing rails to sleepers and other like purposes, consisting of two parts, one having teeth projecting from one side at right angles to the longitudinal line of said part, and the otherpart being plain and adapted to be driven Vdown behind the first part to force said teeth into the wood, the second part being wider than the first and having a concave face against which the convex face of the narrower toothed part has bearing, substantially as described.

2. A spike for securing railway rails to sleepers and for other like purposes, consisting of two parts, the first part having at top and bottom a head and a foot projection at right angles toits longitudinal line and teeth between said points projecting in the same direction, and a second part adapted to be driven in against the opposite parallel face of said irstfpart, the second part being of greater width than the first, so as to project beyond the sides, or edges, of the latter and prevent the spike from turning, substantially as described.

3. A spike for securing railway -rails to sleepers and other like purposes, consisting of two parts, the first part being provided with projections at its ends and with teethl intermediate thesame projecting on one side at right angles with the longitudinal line of said part, the second part being adapted to bear against an opposite, plain convex face of the rst part to force said teeth into the wood, said second part being wider than the first and having a concave face against which the plain convex face of the first part has bearing, substantially as described.

FREDERICK BAKER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD WATERS, J unr.,

WILLIAM HERBERT WATERS. 

